Revolving book-holder



(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 17,1896.

V 5 I 1 Lawn. Z n Nfln i 7 1w... 5 a... a I \QNH Q 0 N H fi'l'i sszs PATENT FFTQE CALVERT L. BALLARD, OF FORT lVORTH, TEXAS.

REVOLVING BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 57l,717, dated November 17, 1896.

Application filed February 14, 1896. Serial No. 579,275. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVERT L. BALLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort -Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Revolving Book-Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a combined desk and cabinet especially designed for students use to obviate the scattering about of books when writing, studying, or making reference thereto. The desk has a plurality of faces, each forming a book rest or support, and is rotata-bly mounted, so as to be turned to bring aparticular book under observation, and the cabinet is independently mounted, so as to be turned to bring abook, periodical, paper, or article within reach without requiring the student or person rising or leaving his seat. Combined with the device isa rest or writing-board adapted to slide beneath the desk or book-support, so as to be out of the way and enable the structure to occupy a minimum amount of space.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the structure having the writing-board drawn out. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the structure extending transversely of the writingboard. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the upper portion of the stand, showing the relation of the writing'board, the outer end of the latter being broken away. Fig. i is a detail view of a book-holder.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the figures of the accompanying drawings by the same reference-charactors.

In its organization the structure combines a stand 1, a revolving desk or book-support 2, a cabinet 3, surmounting the revolving desk and adapted to be turned independently thereof, and a writing-board 4. The stand comprises ahead 5, legs 0, and cross-braces '7, connecting the lower portions of the legs and maintaining them in fixed relation. The head 5 has a vertical opening 8 at a central point, and a corresponding opening or socket 9 is formed in the cross-braces '7 in vertical alinement with the opening 8, and the lower portion of a vertical post 10 ismounted in the openings 8 and 9 in sueh'a manner as to turn freely therein, and carries the revolving desk 2 and the rotary cabinet 3, the desk being attached to the post, so as to revolve therewith, and the cabinet being loosely mounted upon the upper portion of the said post, so as to turn independently thereon.

Arms 11 are attached at their inner ends to the sides of the head 5 and project therefrom in parallel and horizontal relation and have grooves or ways 12 at their inner sides for the reception of the edge portions of the writing-board 4, so as to guide and support the latter in its sliding movements. A crossbar 13 connects the outer ends of the arms 11, anda brace 14 is pendent from the crossbar and is connected at its lower end with the adjacent leg of the stand and is designed to support and sustain the weightimposed upon the outer end of the said arms when the writingboard 4 is in use. The writing-board at may be of suitable construction and is adapted to slide in the grooves or ways 12 and has a slot 15 extending inward from its rear edge to receive the post 10, whereby provision is had for the sliding of the said board beneath the revolving desk, so as to be out of the way when not required for immediate use. An ink-holder 16 of any approved construction is provided on the writing-board,thereby completing the convenience of the structure.

The revolving desk is constructed with a series or plurality of faces or book-supports 17, arranged at a proper angle and grouped about the post 10, the number of the faces or book-supports varying and being dependent upon the size of the structure. To prevent the books, periodicals, papers, the, from sliding off the faces or supports 17, a ledge 18 is disposed at the lower edge of the said faces, and may consist of ainolding, head, or strip, which will add to the appearance of the structure and at the same time strengthen the desk. Each face or book-support will be supplied with a book-holder 19, which .will have adjustable connection with the upper portion thereof, so as to adapt the book-holder to books of different lengths. This book-holder consists of a plate 20, having a slot 21, in which operates a binding-screw 22 to hold the device in the required adjusted position, an open frame 23 to engage with the opposite sides or leaves of the book, and a spring 24:, the latter serving to press the free end of the open frame 23 upon the pages of the book, so as to hold the latter open. The frame 23 may be of any light open-work of suitable design, and as shown is constructed of wire which is doubled upon itself and has its side portions connected by cross-wires 25 in such a manner as to secure the said side wires in the adjusted position. This frame is connected by a hinge or pivotal joint with the plate 20, whereby provision is had for its free end to adapt itself to the thickness of the book to be held open thereby, it being remembered that the spring 24 is disposed so as to press the free end of the frame upon the open pages of the book with such force as to maintain the book in open relation for ready reference.

The rotary cabinet is mounted upon the upper portion. of the vertical post 10, and its compartments may be open or closed in any desired way, as preferred, and is intended to receive books, papers, writing material, and such other articles as are usually stored in devices of this character.

By having the desk rotatably mounted the student or person can remain seated and the desk can be turned so as to bring any required book or paper in position for reference, and by having the cabinet mounted in a similar way it can be rotated to bring any compartment within reach, so that any desired book or article canbe secured without necessitating the person leaving his seat, and while the desk is being utilized for supporting a book or paper the writing-board can be made to support the paper or tablet upon which the matter to be written is noted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. The combination with a stand, a revolving desk having a vertical post journaled in the stand, and a support projected horizontally from the upper portion of the stand, or a writing-board slidably mounted in ways in the said support and havinga slot to receive the said vertical post, whereby the writingboard can be pushed beneath the revolving desk when not in use and can be moved outward when required for service, substantially as specified.

2. In combination, a stand comprising a head and legs, arms extending laterally from the head of the stand and connected at their outer ends, a brace interposed between a portion of the stand and the outer end of the arms to support the latter, a revolving desk mounted in the stand, and a writing-board slidably supported by the said arms and adapted to move beneath the revolving desk. and having a slot to receive the vertical post by means of which post the desk is rotatably supported, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a desk, of a bookholder comprising a slotted plate, means for adjustably securing the plate to the desk, a frame having a pivotal or hinge connection with the plate and extending away from and in the plane thereof, and a spring secured to the plate and bearing upon the frame for moving the free end of the frame toward the desk. substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CALVERT L. iALLARD.

\Vitnesses:

WM. Z. lVIANCHESTER, JAS. C. SCOTT. 

